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How do you prepare your child for the first day of school or nursery?

146 replies

SorchaMumsnet · 03/08/2017 10:37

Mouse doesn’t like school... she loves it! If your little one is starting school or nursery soon, Mouse's Big Day is the perfect reassuring picture book to read together.

It's a big day for Mouse – her first day at school! But she doesn’t want to go. Not one bit. Luckily there's a class full of new friends waiting for her, and Mouse is about to learn just how brilliant school can be.

In Mouse's Big Day, you will meet the cast of adorable animal characters from Twit Twoo School, drawn by the award-winning and bestselling illustrator of the What the Ladybird Heard adventures, Lydia Monks.

Get ready for school with these Mouse's Big Day activity sheets

For a chance to win a copy of the book in a bundle of gorgeous picture books (worth £100) from Macmillan Children's Books, including The Detective Dog and Little Red, just tell us - how did you or how do you plan to prepare your child for the first day of school or nursery?

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This discussion is sponsored by Macmillan Children's Books and will end on Thursday 31 August

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How do you prepare your child for the first day of school or nursery?
OP posts:
SmileAndNod · 10/08/2017 08:41

DD has had a couple of settling in sessions at her new school and is also due to have a home visit. She has an induction book to work through which shows her new classroom and teacher / TA and an outline of the school day - time of break, lunch etc.

She is quite excited by it. I'm dreading it. Completely dreading it Sad

sarahja99 · 10/08/2017 09:28

The school DD will be starting nursery at in September holds a weekly toddler/pre school group so we have been attending that all this year. They have several crafts and activities followed by a snack then sitting on the mat for songs or a story. This has really helped her get used to the structure and environment of school. It is probably her favourite group/activity that we attend so she is very excited for September. We are also very pleased that the lovely lady who runs this group will be in class with them one day a week.

ponygirlcurtis · 10/08/2017 10:30

DS2 starts school next week! Eek! After his induction visits I was allowed to take pictures around his school as part of a support plan for him, I have had them printed and made up into a scrapbook. So we have looked through them lots of times and talked about the school, the classrooms, the lunch hall, the playground (and the toilet, v important!) etc. And he has shown it to anyone who visits and 'explains' to them about all the various things so it's been really useful in helping him I think.

OnMyShoulders · 10/08/2017 10:53

We describe what will happen in detail again and again in the lead up so that there are no big surprises and they are assured and comfortable and have the opportunity to ask all their questions. We big up all the exciting bits like buying a cool schoolbag, pencil case and lunch box, learning how to read so that they can read books all by themselves etc. We speak about it only in very positive terms so as not to introduce any fear or doubt.

Natsku · 10/08/2017 13:16

DD started school yesterday. We went to an intro morning in the spring so she met her teacher and classmates and got to see the classroom, cloakroom, toilets etc.

During the holidays we practiced the walk to school and played in the school playground and talked about the things she'll learn and the new friends she'll make (and the familiar faces that will be there too)

Lots of reassuring that the teacher will explain everything and that if she's in doubt, she can just look what everyone else is doing.

The preparation went well as her first two days went really well :)

Byrdie · 10/08/2017 14:42

Books about going to school seemed to help ours. My youngest is a year away from school, but talking about it regularly helps as well as having a few visits. Playdates with new class mates will be organised before she starts - towards the end lf this academic year as I'm so bad at organising them.

foxessocks · 10/08/2017 16:39

We talked about it loads beforehand with my dd, she did cry for the first week or two but we just made it a quick goodbye without too much fuss and she settled fairly quickly.

LineLineDotDot · 10/08/2017 17:21

We talked about all the fun things about preschool and making new friends. Also went for a play and stay morning and continued to talk about all the fun we had whenever any worries arose. But tbh it helped watching the older DC go into school every morning and taking our time to peek into the preschool yard at all the toys.

CheeseEMouse · 10/08/2017 21:35

Talking about it a lot. Going to investigate where the school is (she is excited about there being a scooter park) and emphasising her friends that will be there.

georgedawes · 10/08/2017 22:15

We did lots of role play but the main thing was focusing on self- care, taking shoes on and off; hanging coat up and doing her zip, going to the toilet etc etc. All the other stuff follows but the basics like these make a big difference!

glenka · 10/08/2017 22:23

Making sure they get a good look around the school beforehand is always a good way to get them feeling reassured about it.

beckyinman · 10/08/2017 22:30

Lots of preparation chat in the weeks running up to it about being a big girl and having lots of new friends. Plus some favourite treats in the lunch box and lots of positive talk afterwards

freefan · 10/08/2017 22:32

We're having a play day the day before with some of our DS's nursery friends some of whom he's not seen since nursery broke up for the holidays so this is helping build the excitement in between uniform shopping.
Also I think the nursery being in the same building has really helped with him already feeling like part of the school, with lots of work done by nursery teachers with visits to classrooms and a nice P1 starter pack given at their 'graduation' with a reading bag, gym bag and book all about starting school.

Coffeechick · 10/08/2017 22:46

We've been to an induction day at the school. We talk about school and the activities he'll do and the friends he'll make so he gets used to the idea. He already was at a private nursery but this will be different as they won't be playing so much and it'll be every day.

He knows he has a new book bag so hopefully he'll be excited the first day. Hopefully that will continue :)

compy99 · 11/08/2017 00:12

we will be having "taster" days, we are walking past the school regularly and making it sound as interesting as possible, we talk about it a lot, but time will tell.

pinkjjf27 · 11/08/2017 01:02

preparation is key books like the one above are great. Taking younger children on schools runs and school visits so that school is all very normal. I also walk past the local school at play times to watch the kids playing and running around happy and excited then chat positively about school.

Marie1276 · 11/08/2017 03:33

DD2 is going to Year 1 in September. She began nursery when she was 2 years old and spent 2 years there before going to Reception.Before school holiday,she spent half day with her new teacher and 1 whole day after.Then back home she told me she's very scared to go to Year 1 now.As we don't play all day and need to work most of the time.
Everytime i tried to talk on the subject she would changed the conversation.
But then i came with a plan that luckily her 6th birthday is just after school will start again.So i made a deal with her to let me share her thoughts and fears then we'll invite her new friends from Year 1 with her old besties from Reception for a nice birthday party.
So she finally accepted.Now every now and then i try to do some homeworks for about 30 mins - 1 hour to put her in the mood.She loves books,drawing and she is a really good crafter.
At our local library there's the "Summer Challenge",we're taking part and i try to look for books about 1st day at school to share with her.
She also got a big sister who'll be in Year 6,that is helping her so much with her fears.She always want to be big like DD1, so i always tell her to always learn well in school to be like her sister.And that she needs to work really hard if she wants to be a Doctor one day.That's her dream job 😉😉😉

lizd31 · 11/08/2017 08:18

Olivia is starting school in September & is very excited. She had a trial day last month where she has already made lots of friends & the teachers said she is very advanced for her age so I'm sure she will be just fine

7flipper7 · 11/08/2017 08:29

I made sure my children were familiar with socialising with other kids, could open their lunch boxes and food packets, knew where and when they were going, visited the setting beforehand so they could informally meet and see their class. There were still tears (from me!) but kids soon forget about their parent and quickly go off to explore and play with others.

Composteleana · 11/08/2017 08:40

A good look around the school with stay and play visits before hand, a home visit from teacher/ key worker if available, or a visit to their current setting. Practising things like putting on and taking off uniform, or at least their jumper/cardigan and coat, as well as making sure they can open any containers you send lunch or snack in etc always helps so they won't get flummoxed on the day and feel too shy to ask for help.

There's also lots of lovely story books about starting school/nursery which can be nice to read and chat about beforehand.

123hartley123 · 11/08/2017 10:47

we took them to the building the week before every day and said that's where all the children go and play.

HELENSCRESCENT · 11/08/2017 16:39

When my daughter first stare red we read a few books about a characters first day at school and watched episodes of programmes she liked where the characters were starting school. We also did role pluwoth her dolls and said what we thought might happen. We did all of this in the months running up to starting and it seemed to work well as she had no anxiety about starting. We have followed the same plan for younger sibling too.

PorridgeAgainAbney · 11/08/2017 16:41

We went to the open day and the summer fair, and we've gone to the school to hand in various bits of paperwork rather than post it, just so DS gets used to where it is, how long it takes to walk there, etc.

We've watched a few programmes that have had a theme of starting school; Topsy & Tim, Apple Tree House, so he can see that other children will have the same worries as he might have. Nursery have also been great, setting up 'classroom sessions' to work on phonics and numbers in a quieter, slightly more formal atmosphere to get them all used to how school will differ from nursery.

Other than that I've tried to play it down; whenever people go overboard and talk about how exciting it is and what a big change it will be he gets upset, so I'm trying to make sure he realises it is a big change without being dramatic and over-excited about it.

juju3 · 11/08/2017 17:52

With Nursery I took her along to a pre joining day. Hopefully school will allow the same

cwalliss82 · 11/08/2017 18:59

My DCs have been in nursery since they were babies as I work and the nursery is adjacent to the school. We have always referred to nursery as school and they have just moved up classes so they have never known any different.